runty

[ ruhn-tee ]

adjective

, runt·i·er, runt·i·est.

1. stunted; dwarfish:

   The runty puppy seems the most playful of the litter.

Other Words From

• runti·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of runty¹

First recorded in 1800–10; runt + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Enter Dennis France, a runty cop groupie who had befriended Leasure at a Pomona gun show and liked to go on ride alongs with him.

From Los Angeles Times

“She’s kind of runty, although she just had a growth spurt, and she’s taking off. She’s about three-quarters the size of mom.”

From Seattle Times

Think of it as Gotham’s runty younger brother.

From Seattle Times

Such runty particles wouldn’t produce detectable nuclear recoils.

From Science Magazine

Compared to the drakon-killer, Bob looked downright runty.

From Literature

Related Words

• cramped
• limited
• meager
• microscopic
• miniature
• minuscule
• modest
• narrow
• paltry
• poor
• short
• slight
• small-scale
• young